When Gangaram came out of the General Mamager's cabin after ten minutes, his face was sullen. He came out of the cabin, wiping his face with his handkerchief.
"What, Gangaram? Was the air-conditioner not on?" asked Murthy, suppressing his laughter, with the palm of his right hand.
"When I entered the cabin, I thought that the cooling effect of the air-conditioner was a bit too much, But in five minutes, I found the atmosphere had become sultry!"
He then came near Murthy and whispered in his ears, "What is this? The man is abrasive. I am meeting him for the first time. Before coming here, I have heard people speaking highly of him. The man seems to be hoarding a vulcano in his mouth. The words coming out of his mouth are like lava bursting out of a vulcano. They also stink like drainage water. How do you manage to work under him?"
"The intercom line to his cabin is open, Your comments would have been heard by him" said Murthy, closing the mouth of the receiver with his palm.
"Oh My God!" exclaimed Gangaram, feeling unnerved.
"Don't worry. I was just kidding" Murthy reassured him. "But, I am worried that hearing your cry, he may come out of his cabin" he added jokingly.
"Thank God! Don't frighten me like this, even for fun!"
"What did he say?"
"My region stands first in turnover and profitability. But he says that my performance is just average. It seems that while he wants to fly at the speed of a jet, I am crawling at the speed of a bullock cart. I don't understand what he wants!"
"Don't mind what he said. Feed your bullocks properly and maintain your bullock cart well. Otherwise, your bullock cart won't move!"
"I am already upset by what the General Manager told me. You are also teasing me! I don't understand how other Regional Managers I spoke to, spoke so well of him."
"It is like the story of a fox that had its tail cut, when it was trapped into a bush. The fox claimed that after it had its tail cut, it was able to see the stars on the sky, even during daytime. Believing it, other foxes also cut their tails, only to realize that the fox had tricked other foxes, so that it won't be the only fox with a truncated tail! Perhaps, you may also tell the people in your office that the new General Manager spoke to you in an encouraging way!"
"Maybe, I will! I am worried how I am going to survive, working under a person like him" said Gangaram, with a sigh.
"He will keep throwing dirt at you. You should learn to skirt and and avoid the dirt falling on you" said Murthy. He then whispered into Gangaram's ears, "You know one thing? This gentleman has been hopping from one company to another. Till now, he has changed six companies. This is the seventh company he is working for. So, we can hope to be rid of him, sooner than later."
"How do you manage to tackle him?" asked Gangaram.
Murthy's intercom sounded. After taking the call, Murthy told Gangaram, "I will go and tackle him!" and stepped into the General Manager's cabin.
After a few months, when Gangaram was in his office, he received a phone call from Murthy.
"What, Murthy? Did the General Manager ask you to summon me?" asked Gangaram, in jest and half, even while feeling concerned about the purpose of Murthy's call.
"He won't summon you hereafter. He is leaving!"
"What happened?"
"After the present General Manager took over, the company's performance has been deteriorating. The Regional Managers have become demotivated. Therefore, sales have fallen and so has profitability. Some Regional Managers have complained to the Directors about the the General Manager's practice of making insulting observations and using intemperate language. Some Directors queried me about the General Manager's attitude and behaviour. In the meeting of the Board of Directors held yesterday, it was decided to dismiss the General Manager. Shnkar, a senior Regional Manager has been designated as the General Manager, for the time being. If his performance is satisfactory, he may be confirmed on a regular basis. I just received the fax. The official announcement will be made, only after Shankar takes over. Apart from me, you are the first person to know about the development. Congratulations!" said Murthy, with excitement.
"Why are you congratulating me? For getting freed from the authority of a tyrant? In that case, you should be the person to be congratulated. Something good has happened to our company. Let both of us congratulate the company!" said Gangaram. .
uRai kadugi ollaik kedum.
Verse 563
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